NEW DELHI: Narendra Modi used his two outings in the capital on Monday to highlight the concrete measures undertaken during his leadership in Gujarat and suggest specific ideas on improving governance at the Centre, seemingly an attempt to draw a contrast between him and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.

Modi, BJP's presumptive prime ministerial candidate, first spoke at an event organised by industry lobby Ficci's women's wing, four days after Gandhi addressed the Confederation of Indian Industry. Here, he attempted to fortify his female firewall — talking of women's issues to augment a support base that has been providing him considerable electoral dividend in elections — while he used the second session, organised by a media house, to hard-sell his image as an unflappable administrator by taking definitive positions on larger issues of governance.

Gandhi's speech, on the other hand, had come in for criticism for its lack of specifics while it was hailed for its earnest delivery. The Gujarat chief minister spoke his mind on the size of government and its content, rearranging of constitutional institutions, paradigm shift in governance and changing the outlook of foreign office and the Planning Commission. Arguing for taking policymaking out of political contest, Modi said the government should shed flab and adopt a new narrative. "If government is all about framing rules, governance should be about accountability; if the government is about exercising power, government should be about empowerment; if the government makes outlays, governance should be about tangible outcomes," he said.

Sociologist Dipankar Gupta said the chief minister had said just the right things. "I won't say it was a rock star performance, but he has said the right things," Gupta said. "When Modi became chief minister, only around 68 of the 1,800 villages remained to be electrified. The growth figures were around 10-13 per cent in 1990s when he was nowhere in the picture, and 35 per cent of power augmentation happened then. He was given a state which was healthy. He has been a good storekeeper, who has been mining the store."

In an attempt to drive home the point that he could be trusted to match words with action, Modi repeatedly spoke about his record in Gujarat and did not spare any opportunity to lash out at the Centre. "The government is coming in the way of healthy Centre-state relations. It does not allow independent initiatives (he recalled the Centre's objection to Gujarat laying a gas pipeline) and displays partisanship while allocating funds. They look at the 'gotra' of the state government before allocating funds," he said.

The chief minister also put his business-friendly foot forward and said the Gujarat model of land acquisition was the best model for the country. "The state should only play the role of a facilitator. It should also ensure that landowners are not exploited," he said. Modi said BJP welcomed foreign direct investment in every sector barring retail. He said he backed disinvestment in public sector units, even as he remained ambiguous on sale of equity in profit-making units in Gujarat. "I am a businessman. I will optimise profit from these companies," he said.

He said it was time that departments at the Centre were recast. "Take the case of the ministry of external affairs. Foreign relations are all about trade relations. But the old mindset still persists and we function the way we did a few decades ago," he said, adding that state governments should be encouraged to deal directly with foreign governments. "Gujarat has business interests in six countries. Why can't we allow officials of the state to be part of the mission in these countries?" he asked.

Although he refrained from endorsing a suggestion for winding up the Planning Commission, Modi said the institution had to be mindful of the changing requirements. He also came down heavily on the tendency to politicise central commissions. "These institutions can work effectively if the government stays at arm's length," he said.

Modi said the round-the-year election schedule was responsible for several distortions as political parties increasingly give in to partisan considerations. "There is one election or the other through the year — from co-operatives to assembly. Political parties do not show the stamina or stomach to take key decisions. Electoral calendar should not dictate policymaking," he said. He also had a word of advice for politicians and bureaucrats.

"Politicians should learn to say 'no' to impractical demands and bureaucrats should learn to say 'yes' to people who meet them. The bureaucracy's instant reaction is to say 'no' to any suggestion or requests from people. The people now have no faith in the government because of these two reasons," he said.